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The Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor

Dennis Gill

Age: 79
Sound Processor: Nucleus 6, 2013

“The difference SmartSound iQ® makes is quite amazing. If I step from a quiet environment to a noisy room, sounds suddenly appear softer rather than harsher. It’s one of the excellent features of the Cochlear ™Nucleus® 6,” says Dennis.

The retired property developer grew up in South Africa and immigrated to Australia in 1982. Throughout his life he has had difficulty hearing.

“I contracted a number of childhood diseases, but no reason has ever been specifically explained to me for my hearing loss,” Dennis says. “I remember I had difficulty hearing the whistle playing sport at school and have been hard of hearing ever since.”

Dennis’s partial deafness was officially confirmed in 1970 after a poor audiogram reading in his medical to obtain his flying licence that would allow him to fly his own light aircraft between regional contracts and home. Dennis also, later became a volunteer pilot in the South African Air Force.

“I’ve spent most of my life self-employed,” says Dennis. “I found that the few bosses I have had were less than sympathetic to my deafness. I became very good at lip-reading and following the other person’s body language, as well as making sure I had premium seats at auditoriums and churches. It was only later in life that I found it easier to overcome the ‘embarrassment’ of being deaf and ask people to speak a little louder.”

“It was great having the opportunity to trial the Nucleus 6 and make constructive comparisons to earlier models, which I hope my reactions and observations have benefitted the researchers. The Nucleus 6 is beautifully designed making it more comfortable to wear. The device is more compact, and ergonomically made with rechargeable batteries that are easy to handle.”